Are men designed to obsess about sex? This week, I came across a post on Sheila Gregoire’s Facebook page where she was “fixing” a quote by popular marriage author Kevin Leman. The quote is from Leman’s book Sheet Music, where he writes, “Let’s talk about making Mr. Happy smile. Mr. Happy likes to be kissed.”... The post Are Men Designed to Obsess About Sex? (The Problem with Kevin Leman’s Sheet Music) appeared first on Intentional Today ..read more

What’s challenging about growing as a Christian is how our understanding and perception of who God is can be limited. Let me explain. We got handed a belief system. But asking questions and wrestling with those beliefs is kinda frowned upon. Unless you “wrestle” and remain in the same spot, that is. Our deeply held... The post How Our Perception of God Makes it Difficult to Change appeared first on Intentional Today ..read more

Christians are still asking “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?” A few readers have pitched the question in my direction as an argument for why marriage is hard and why everyone should persevere in challenging times. Now, I have compassion for evangelical and conservative Christians who... The post What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Happy? appeared first on Intentional Today ..read more

Are men and women more different than alike in relationships? Popular evangelical teachings often portray them as two distinct species. But what does the research say? Sometimes back, one of my readers tagged me under a Facebook post discussing “love” and “submission.” I’ve written quite a bit on those two subjects on this blog. In... The post Are Men and Women More Different Than Alike in Relationships? Exploring Evangelical Teachings on Gender Differences appeared first on Intentional Today ..read more

A few months ago, someone shared one of my old quotes on social media. The quote is from a few years ago when I used to write general marriage advice geared towards helping women address conflict and improve communication in marriage. But I’ve since changed how I write about marriage (here’s a post with more... The post How to Support Women in Pursuing Healthier Marriages (Without Shaming) appeared first on Intentional Today ..read more

Why is it so hard for some to explore why people leave the church? Why is there an emphasis on “don’t forsake the gathering” but no preoccupation with the quality of said gathering? Last week, I wrote about why people leave the church and asked whether one can be a Christian if they are no... The post Why Christians Need to Focus on Understanding Why People Leave the Church appeared first on Intentional Today ..read more

When Christians no longer go to church, are they still Christian? I don’t know when attending a church service became THE sign that one is a Christian. But here we were. Many people believe attending church is the primary indicator of one’s faith. The thinking is so strong that not being part of a church... The post When Church Attendance Became The Sign One is Christian appeared first on Intentional Today ..read more

Binary thinking forms a significant part of evangelical fundamentalism. Binary thinking “refers to the tendency to view things in strict black-and-white terms, often ignoring the nuances and complexities that exist within any given situation. It involves categorizing concepts, people, or ideas into two opposing and mutually exclusive groups, without considering the possibility of a spectrum... The post How Church Beliefs Affect Marriage appeared first on Intentional Today ..read more

If a partner says they will change specifically for you, run. Or at least, don’t believe them. Watch. Wait. But don’t be taken. People who promise to change for reasons outside of themselves are not reliable sources of information. (Whether they realize it or not.) Lasting change is not something we do solely for others.... The post When a Partner Says They’ll Change For You (Remember This) appeared first on Intentional Today ..read more

Belief, rather than a Bible verse, is what many in high-stress and traumatic circumstances desire. When they gather up the courage to share their experiences, they are hoping for an empathetic witness. Validation. But often, they are met with anything but that. One of the main problems is that Christians were handed a belief system,... The post When You Need To Believed (Not Just Handed a Bible Verse) appeared first on Intentional Today ..read more